®
ES-9080B
012-07227G
Basic Electrostatics System
11
NOTE
: When handling the conductive shapes, take care to keep each shape and non-
conductive rod free of dirt, grease, and fingerprints to minimize leakage of charge from the
shapes.
Five binding posts allow the voltage source and/or the electrometer to be connected to
components.
NOTE:
The proof planes can be used to test for charge polarity on conductors of any shape.
However, for accurate readings of charge density, the conductor surface sampled has to be
considerably larger than the disk of the proof plane and have a relatively large radius of
curvature at the point of contact.
Electrometer Operation and Setup Requirements
The controls on the front panel of the electrometer are explained in Figure 1. Whether you are
using the electrometer to measure voltage, current or charge, the setup procedure should be
followed each time you turn on the electrometer.
Warning:
To avoid electrical shock and/or injury, observe the following safety precautions:
1.
Never use the electrometer for measuring potentials more than 100 volts.
2.
Never connect the electrometer to an electrostatic generator, such as a Van de Graff
generator of a Wimshurst machine.
3.
Never touch the signal input leads until you have grounded yourself to an earth ground. A
person walking across a rug on a cool, dry day can easily acquire a potential of several
thousand volts.
Setup
1.
Connect the signal input test lead to the signal input BNC connector of the electrometer.
2.
Connect the ground post of the electrometer to an earth ground.
3.
Push the power button ON. One of the range switch LEDs will blink twice in quick
succession.
4.
Press the ZERO button to zero the meter. The LED in the meter display will align with “0”
and the digits display will read “0.0”. You’re now ready to use the electrometer to measure
charge, current or voltage.
